Merci Being a new mom is totally awesome! ….and then there’s the whole taking care of the new child thing. To be honest, some parts could, and do become overwhelming at times. We all experience joy and even stress differently. But alas new momma, you are not alone. Trust me. There are definitely others who feel what you are feeling even when you can’t put a finger on what it is you are feeling- sleep deprived, it’s probably sleep deprivation. Just kidding- but low key serious.
Here are some apps that helped me regain some sense of control and helped us on our new journey with our little one. The great thing about these apps is that they are updated in real-time and give valuable information that is accessible to both you and your partner simultaneous.
As the name suggests, this app tracks everything for you regarding your baby. It’s amazing. You can put in what they eat, when they eat, when they potty, milestones, milk supply, medicine intake, activities, and even track their growth. I love this app because it is very detailed and if it doesn’t have what you would like to track, you can either input your own information or write more detailed information in the “Notes” section below. This was a great app to use when my daughter was an infant because it gives you a quick glance at the information you may need to share with other caregivers (such as when they last ate, or when their last bowel movement was, etc.) or the information to share with your doctor at your next visit. You can also add pictures to the app when you add milestones to help you remember those special moments. This app definitely helped us problem solve and anticipate what her needs may be. Since you can track when they last ate and how much, when they went to the bathroom or even how long ago they may have napped, it helped us figure out what her needs were faster through the process of elimination.
COST: Free; paid version is $4.99
- Input literally everything about your baby
- Syncs instantly between devices
Baby Sparks is a wonderful app that gives you great developmental information and prompts to help with the baby’s development at different stages and in different aspects of their growth from physical to social, sensory, and cognitive areas. The app provides quick demonstration videos performed by experts to help you perform various activities with your little one. There are also very insightful articles that help you understand the different stages and milestones that your child may be growing through. There is both a free version and paid version. The free version gives you the first couple of daily activities, milestones, and development information but the paid version gives you access to all of the features.
COST: Free; Paid version $4.99 per month
- Online Classes
- Parenting App
- Parenting Resources
This is one of my favorite apps that we use as a family. Our parents and family were so infatuated with receiving daily pictures of our little one, but sometimes it was hard to remember to send them to everyone individually. Family Album allows you to create an album for your child that you can share with your partner or loved ones. Only those who have the link to the album are able to see the pictures, which is great because you can upload all the lovely random moments throughout your day that you don’t necessarily want on social media. The app has free unlimited storage which allows you to add as many pictures and short videos as you want so everyone can view and enjoy them at any time. You can also make comments on the pictures/videos and download your favorites. Another great thing that the Family Album app does is that the app separates the pictures and videos by month and labels the age for you. Each month they also create a tangible photo album that you could order if you’d like. The free version only allows short videos under 3 minutes, but if you purchase the app you can add longer videos, including more than one child, add journal entries and create selective groups with whom you share certain photos or videos.
COST: Free; Paid version $4.99 per month
- Easy to set up
- Secure photo and picture sharing with family
The Winnie app is a great tool for when or if you need to look for someone to look after your little one. Whether you need daycare, a sitter, or a preschool, this app allows you to search by categories, languages, specific areas around you, or even by who may have immediate openings. For instance, if you are looking for a Montessori school, a school that incorporates STEM into their curriculum or a certain religion-focused school near you all you need to do is make a selection in the filter options. The app typically provides all the quick information you would need to narrow your search such as the age ranges they service, the hours, program details, pictures, and reviews. Some listings offer price ranges which is also a good feature to help you narrow down your choices. You can view the website via the embedded link or even send a message straight from the app. If you narrowing a few options down, you can save each one for a quick reference later.
COST: Free
- Interactive component
- Informative
I hope these apps help you as much as they’ve helped us. Let me know if there are any apps that were really helpful for you as a new mom- or even which apps work for you now as a veteran mom!
xoxo,
Merci
